DECODE

CHAPTER 1; The Beginning

ASHER

"You want me to give you permission in making such a club?" Mr. Orson, the old head of the school asked as his brows knitted upon me. I leaned onto my seat and nodded.

"Yes. I've been dreaming of having my own detective club here in the campus. I can see that there were things that happen here in this campus, that only I, can solve. That's why I want to build my own team of detectives that will solve those mysterious happenings here." I answered. He eyed me on my seat.

"Well, I don't know. It is not common to have such clubs today. And do you really think that students will join your club? I'm sure, they will think your club is ridiculous."

"I don't care about what they think. I'm sure, pretty sure, once you give me permission in building my own club, my club will have the biggest share in this school. I mean, we will have more sensible works done than those other clubs here. Actually, I found the current clubs, nonetheless, nonsense. They don't help the school in any way." I said. I saw Mr. Orson's face twitched.

"Well, the other clubs give the school acknowledgements. They give praise to our school."

"But I'm sure my club will give safety to this school. As you have said earlier, Professor, our generation is so unpredictable. You never know what might happen next, or what this person is thinking. You never know now the purity of their heart. Do you think the Drama, English, or Mathematics club will help you deal with that?" I asked him. He just looked up at me sternly on his chair.

"But we already covered that problem up by tightening the security of our school. Besides, we have police nearby that we can call in case of emergencies. We do not need that anymore."

"Look, someone was killed, the very first day of the school year. The police did come, but did they solve it? I'm the one who solved it. Now, tell me Professor, do you trust the safety of the school on those kind of precautions knowing someone already died? Will you entrust the case to the police, who always made progress so slowly?" I asked Mr. Orson again. He just looked up on me, eyeing me sternly.

"Yes. I will entrust the whole school in the hands of the police, and I will bet my whole life in the security I've made in this school. This meeting, I think, will lead to nowhere. I won't accept that club of yours. You can ask me anything as your reward from your help on the case earlier. But I will not approve your proposal. I would rather, and always will entrust, these things to the professional. They know what they're doing. And I'll bet my life on their skills." Mr. Orson told me, looking straight into my eye. I just looked at him.

"Okay, Professor. But my wish will stand. I'm sure, someday, you will regret that you did not approved my proposal for this club and you might change your decision." I told Mr. Orson and left without saying another word. Well, I have nothing to say anymore. He already denied my request, and I should not be there anymore after that.

I walked upon the hallway, hands in my pockets as I think about what happened earlier. Someone was killed, strangled to death, and I am the only one who solved the mystery of the crime and revealed the identity of the culprit.

I went to my classroom on the senior high school building. Well, even there was a murder case that happened in our school, the head of the school didn't suspend the classes as he thought that that isn't right in the first day of the school year.

I walked on the hallway towards our classroom and found everyone looking at me. Well, I'm not new to this since this is what I always get whenever I solved something for our school. Well, solving some things made me famous like this. I don't care anyways, as long as I do what I want to do freely.

"He was the one who solved the case earlier." I heard someone from my right side said. I ignored her and continue my walk.

"Is it him? Wow! He's amazing."

"Yes, that's him! I heard he even solved the case before the police–" I put on my earphones and listened to my music instead of minding their mumbles. I don't want to hear anything they will say. I don't want to hear their praises that made me look like I'm sort of a super genius person which is not. What I did is so basic that even they can do it. They don't need to praise me because I'm just like them. And I know for myself that they're better than me.

I am near to my classroom when someone bumped me. Her books fell and I stopped to help her on her books.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to–" I was cut in my mid sentence when I picked up a piece of paper that fell from her books. The piece of paper were full of dots and dashes. My brows knitted upon seeing it.

"Morse code?" I asked as I straightened up to see the paper. I looked at the girl I accidentally bumped with. She has a pair of beautiful eyes. Her eyes were chinky, her hair is so fresh that extends just below her shoulders. Her lips were red and perfectly shaped. Her nose is just fine. She is a fine looking lady with an average type of body. She's a bit shorter than me. She looked up on me and her eyes widened upon seeing me.

"Y-Yes. Morse code. C-Can I have that back?" she asked and pointed the piece of paper on my hand. I look at the paper and tried to read what's written on it.

"'First subject, Mathematics, second subject, Science, break, third subject–' Is this your whole day schedule?" I asked. I saw her reddened as she slowly nod.

"We have the same schedule. Don't tell me, you're from Class-A." I said. She slowly nodded again. She then snatched the paper from me and walked away. I tried getting her name but I failed. Well, we're from the same class anyways.

I immediately walk towards my class. The bell just rang, saying our afternoon break just finished the classes will resume soon. I entered my class and immediately, I felt the uncomfortable stares and looks of my classmates. Then, a few seconds later, the classroom buzzed with their whisperings. I put on my earphones and find myself a seat. I found the girl earlier on the far corner of the room, I chose the seat beside her.

"Hello. What's your name?" I asked. She didn't answered nor look at me. I read her name tag, Zay Winter Shin.

"Hello Zay, You're studying codes and ciphers I guess. Well–" but I was cut in my sentence as our professor in PE entered.

★★★

Two weeks have passed since the last crime happened in our school. The schooldays were fun and every students were eager to go to school and see their friends. It seems they have already forgotten about the murder case that happened two weeks ago. And it seems also, my life is getting back to normal as the event isn't that fresh anymore.

I have readied myself and went to school early that morning. I used to ride my own bicycle as my transportation toward the school. Well, my mom is a psychologist, and my dad is an attorney. We bought a lot near my school and build our own house that is convenient for everyone of us.

The guard, after checking my ID, let me in. I parked my bicycle near the gate and walked towards the abandoned classroom, where I always go whenever I have free time. Well, that's my choice of place to be my clubroom. I always check if everything's alright there. I also put some of my things there to keep.

I am still twenty paces away from the abandoned classroom when I spotted someone standing in front of the door. I squinted my eyes to see who it is. It's a girl, her back facing me that makes it hard to know who she is.

I cleared my throat when I'm already behind her. She flinched and looked at me with a surprised look.

"Can I know the reason you come here, miss?" I asked. Then I was surprised to see who is the girl standing in front of me. It's the same girl I bumped with two weeks ago, and the girl beside my seat at the class. She's Zay.

"W-Well, nothing really. I'm just walking around the school. Actually, I'm about to leave already." and then she left. I watch her as she walk away from me. I was about to enter the abandoned classroom when suddenly...

"KYAAAAAHHHHH!!!" I froze upon hearing a shrilling scream. It came from the building behind this building where I am in. It's from the girls' dormitory!

I hurriedly run towards the girls' dormitory. I saw Zay, there, standing shocked, probably because of that scream.

I ignored her and continue my run towards the origin of the scream. Marami nang estudyante ang nasa labas ng dormitory dahil sa sigaw na iyon. I pushed myself towards the inside of the dormitory.

The dormitory was consist of three floors, with ten rooms each. And I found the cause of the scream on the first floor, fifth room. The door was open, and girls from the neighboring rooms crowded the outside of the opened room. I pushed myself inside until I saw the scene inside the room.

Two ladies, in their pajamas, were lying on the floor, in pool of blood. I saw one girl, her neck has slit and fresh blood oozes from it. Then another girl was lying beside her, she seemed unconscious but she has no wounds.

"Don't move! Call the faculty and tell them about this!" I shouted. Some students flinched then run to follow my commands. I walked toward the bodies on the floor. I examined each body with a single look.

There were two ladies lying on a pool of blood, one lady with curly hair and a bit shorter than the other one. She's the lady with a slitted neck. Beside her a taller girl with pale color, unconscious but no wounds and such. She has a writing on her face. They were both in their pajamas.

I tried to look closer on the thing written on her left cheek. It was written from her left ear down to the left side of her lips. I tried to read the thing written on her face.

Εκδίκησ

My brows knitted upon seeing this Greek characters. What is this? I fumbled my pocket and took out my phone. I took a picture of the writing on her face. I also took a picture of the crime scene, as well as the dead lady. After a few moments, teachers and faculty members marched toward the scene. They put us all out the crime scene area. I walked outside the room. I saw Zay there, looking inside the room.

"You know them?" I asked her as I scan the photos of the crime scene on my phone. I saw, from my peripheral vision, her nod.

"I'm staying in Room 004, just beside their room. I know them since I always see them here. The shorter girl is Nicole Ayala. The taller one is Diana Bagares. That girl, shivering on that corner is Cristine Sajo. I believe, there were only three of them in that room." she said. I looked at her as she said those things. She's looking inside the crime scene. I can see something in her eyes. Something like...keenness.

"We're the police! Please make way! Move out of the way! Do not touch anything!" I heard a familiar voice said. I turn towards the entrance of the dormitory and found Inspector Marcus Marion marching toward the crime scene.

"Oh, it's you, what's your name again? Ash? It's that you are here. We could use your help again for this case. I feel bad that another incident happened again in your campus." he said. I smiled at him.

"I agree. It so unusual. And it drives me nuts to think someone from my school can do this kind of deed." I said. He chuckled.

"We can't predict the mind of everyone. Who is this girl? Your girlfriend?" he asked. I was surprised by his remarks that made me cough. I heard Zay Winter coughed too.

"No, inspector. She's just...a friend of mine. Will you conduct the investigation now?" I said to divert the conversation back to the crime that was discovered just now.

"Yes. We'll start the investigation right away. For now, you can go back to your classes while we do prelimination in this crime scene. We'll call you when we need your insights. But for now, let us do our job." he said and left toward the crime scene. Mr. Orson immediately talked to him upon him setting foot in the crime scene.

"Hayst, I think I have no chance to investigate inside. Luckily, I took photos of the crime scene. I'm sure you want to see it, too." I said as I turn to Zay. I smiled at her.

"I know you want to investigate this case, too. Let's go and take a look at my photos inside my clubroom." I said and walked out the girls' dormitory.

★★★

I unplugged my connector from Zay's laptop and put it back to my bag. We have just copied the photos of the crime scene I have taken from my phone to her laptop for us to gain better view of the pictures. We first examine the picture of the dead girl, the body of Nicole Ayala.

"Look at the slit on her neck, it start from under her right ear and ended midway her throat. Her eyes were open. I can say she was attacked from behind. If that would be the case, our killer must be a left-handed person." I said as we examine the photo. She nodded in agreement to me.

"Following that piece of information, we then can conclude the the killer's dominant hand is left. We must find someone who is a left-handed." she remarked.

"Yes. But the thing is, many people here are left-handed person. We can't use that as an effective lead to start this investigation with."

"At least, we know a thing about the killer." she said. I chuckled because of that reply of her.

"Next photo. That is the thing I first noticed upon seeing the next body lying on the floor. Diana has this writing on her face." I told her and click the next photo. I then zoomed in the photo on the part where the writing was placed. It was magnified upon the screen.

The writing "Εκδίκηση" was now clearly visible on the screen of the laptop.

"It's Greek." Zay said. I just listened to her.

"I once studied Greek for I love their mythology. I even studied their language. This word, I'm sure, means 'revenge'." she said. My jaws clenched upon hearing the word. So, that means, whoever made this crime, wants revenge from these ladies. But why? And who?

"Based on this writing on the victim's face, it seems someone has a grudge on Nicole." Zay remarked. I nodded.

"It seems so. Do you know something about them? About these ladies?" I asked her. She looked at me in confusion.

"I'm not a gossiper type of person. I just knew them because I should know them since they're my neighboring dormmates. But I did not bother to meddle with their lives." she said with a flat tone. I smiled.

"Easy. I'm just asking. But if that's the case, we must question someone who knew them. There were questions in my head that want answers." I said and stood up from my seat.

"Can you help me with that?" I asked her. She smiled.

"Of course!"

We left the abandoned classroom and went towards the girls' dormitory. I will try first if I can learn something from the police investigation there.

"Inspector, how's the investigation? Made any progress?" I said. He eyed me again as his brows knitted.

"You're playing detective again, don't you? Well, we did found the murder weapon and something that incriminates all of them." the inspector answered. My brows knitted at his words.

"What is that, Inspector?"

"Well, I think it won't hurt if I let you know the results of our findings since you already helped us one time. Well, it is that those ladies that were in here earlier were all friends with each other. But the incriminating part is that those ladies had a fight with each other." my brows knitted upon his revelation.

"What kind of fight?" I asked.

"Based in our interview with Cristine, they had argument three days ago. And it is about a boy."

"A boy?"

"Yes. Someone named Luke Santos. Luke is the boyfriend of Nicole, the lady who died. Luke is the ex-boyfriend of Cristine. Their fight was caused by the question of being a third party in a relationship." the inspector narrated.

"What about Diana? What's her part in this case?"

"Well, she also liked Luke. But she didn't join the war. But yes, she think Luke is just a cause of chaos in their friendship. And last night, they had another ruckus, too."

"What kind of ruckus?" I asked.

"Well, they fought again. Because of what Nicole posted in her f******k account." the inspector answered. I turned my gaze to Zay.

"You know about that?"

"Well, come to think of it. I heard shouts and yells from their room last night. But I never give any thought about that since they always shout to each other these past few days." Zay said. Hayst, this girl is unbelievable.

"Anyways, inspector, you know the post of Nicole in her account?" I asked.

"Well, it's this." he showed me a cellphone, probably from one of his constable. On the screen was a f******k account and under it was a post.

What I hate the most is bitter people who always makes way to ruin one's happy life. I really hate them. And yes, I hate the fact that they're my friends.

#FakeFriends

My brows knitted. This post is outrageous, really. This can lead to something.

"That post deterred the reputations of her friend. They became the center of gossips around the campus." Inspector Mar added.

"That, would be enough to cause something." I uttered. I glanced at Zay beside me. I can see she's in deep thought.

"We must talk to Diana and Cristine. From this point, I can only see them as the persons of interest. Can we conduct questioning to them right now, Inspector?" I asked the inspector. His brows knitted.

"Persons of interest? Why them?"

"Well, we found some things that if we align to the case, will end up to both girls. Probably, to a certain someone only." I said.

The inspector asked for the details Zay and I have established. We shared everything we have discovered to him. And in the end, he ended with the same conclusion as mine.

"That writing says revenge. And aligning that piece of information in the data we gathered, we would end up to the victim's friends."

"Yes, Inspector."

"Okay, we will question them now. Come, hear what they say." the inspector said and lead us towards the two ladies. Diana was surrounded by the medics while Cristine was surrounded by the constables. Zay and I followed behind Inspector Mar.

"Ladies, I know, both of you are still in shock, but we must conduct questionings to both of you." Inspector Mar asked Diana and Cristine. There were tears in their eyes, but still, they nodded.

"We just want to know your activities last night. We believe, the crime was committed early this morning. Probably around midnight, where are you around that time?" Inspector Mar asked the two ladies. Diana answered first.

"L-Last night? I went to bed early last night. After I had my d-dinner, I went directly to bed. I-It was because I do not want to see them for w-we are not in good terms lately. I-I slept and I woke up two in the mindnight. I-I planned to do my homeworks that I failed to do last night and decided to go out to the kitchen. While I'm preparing for the thing I will do, I heard something fall. I went to see what it was but I felt something hit me."

"Something hit you?"

"Y-Yes. At the back of my head. And I have no recollection of what happened anymore." I just listened to her testimony. I glanced at Zay. She's looking directly to Diana's eyes, as if...she's assessing her.

"How about you, Cristine?" Inspector Mar asked the next lady.

"I-I stayed in my room the whole night for I do not want to have another altercation with Nicole. I also slept early last night. And when I woke up this morning, I was surprised to see Nicole and Diana lying there." Cristine answered.

"Can you describe to us what you have seen earlier?" Inspector Mar said. Cristine gulped first before answering. I can see she's nervous.

"I-It was like this..." she arrange her sit first, and glanced to everyone of us, before answering.

"It was a bloody scene. F-Full of blood. A-And I saw them lying there in the pool of blood. I can't control myself anymore and I started screaming." I listened to her testimony. I took out my phone and see the photos of the crime scene I took. And what she had said, just matched the photo.

"If that's the case, then both of you have no knowledge about the case? Just that, you Diana, were hit by something?" the two ladies nodded at Inspector Mar's question. I eyed them both. Something's amiss. One of them is lying.

"Inspector, can you ask them if they know someone who knows Greek?" I whispered to Inspector Mar.

"For what?" he asked.

"Remember the writing? It's Greek. The killer must have knowledge in Greek language." he nodded at my remark.

"Ladies, last question. Do you know someone who knew Greek?" the inspector asked. Their eyes widened upon his question. But neither answered.

"Ladies? You knew someone? Tell us. It would be of great help in solving the case." Inspector Mar repeated. The two ladies looked at each other. Then they answered in chorus.

"She does." they said as they point to each other.

★★★

Zay and I were inside the abandoned classroom again. I was pacing back and forth in front of her while my right hand is upon my chin, thinking about the case and the discoveries we had.

"Goodness! What's happening in this case? I can't fit the puzzles in their places! The questioning did not help so much! It just made the case more complicated!" I remarked as I paced back and forth in the room.

"Yes. Both of their alibis are trivial. They might only making that up. Diana claims she heard something fall in the crime scene, yet we didn't see anything there. Then, there's this writing. Both ladies knew something about Greek. And it will be hard if you will write that symbols on your own face on your own. Swear, I tried it earlier, and it's a big no." she commented.

I agree with her. This case, because of the two ladies' testimony, became more complicated.

"I'm sure, Diana is the killer here." I said. I saw her frown.

"Why her? I tell you, it's hard to write that Greek word to your own face." she said.

"Yes, that's the problem. I'm convinced she's the killer. First, if the killer wants revenge, the killer must kill her too, especially, she happened to arrive at the crime scene when the time of the murder was committed. Secondly, her testimony, about something fell on the crime scene didn't match our findings. And lastly, I found no oblique weapon there that can be use to knock her out of consciousness." I said. She remained quiet.

"But the thing I can't grasp is how she managed to write that Greek word upon her face." I said. I looked at her. I can see, she's also thinking about that thing.

I sat on my chair as I think of any possible way she could write those Greek symbols on her face. How could that be? How is that possible?

I took out my pen and started to jot down notes about this case on a one-fourth sheet of paper. I immediately filled the first paper and started to write on the second paper. My elbow was on the first paper, filled with fresh inks. I felt the ink in my skin that made me raise my elbow from it. I saw smudges of my writings on the place exposed on the paper. Then, in an instant, a sudden realization came to me. I smirked. So, that's how she had done it. I see.

"Ash!"

"Zay!" I was surprised when Zay and I called each other at the same time.

"I knew it!" we both exclaimed again. We both laughed to each other.

"Well, if that is so, let's close this case." I said as I stood up from my seat. She stood up too.

"Okay, then."

★★★

Inspector Marcus Marion, the head police officer of the police force designated in our district, gathered everyone in the crime scene as well as Critine Sajo and Diana Bagares. Inspector Mar already knew that we already solved the case, but he don't know how, that's why he allowed to call for everyone and let us handle the case on our own as we promised him we won't point a finger to a wrong person.

"You may start now." Inspector Mar told us. Zay and I walked to the center of the room. I eyed everyone. Mr. Orson is here too, in my request.

"What is this, Asher?" he asked. I just smiled at him.

"You will know soon, Professor. But for now, I want you all to write your names in this piece of paper. I want to know if the culprit is here with us." I told them. Zay took out a piece of paper and a pen, and gave it to Cristine for her to write her name. She did and passed the paper to Diana who also wrote her name and passed the paper to everyone until to the last person with us. Zay took the paper back and gave it to me. I smiled as I read their names written there.

"Well, how lucky, Nicole Ayala's killer is here with us, at this very moment." I announced as I smirk. I eyed everyone of them.

"What foolishness is it this time, Mr. Monteverde?!" Mr. Orson yelled. But I ignored him. Inspector Mar didn't say a thing.

"Professor Orson, what Ash told us is true. The killer who killed Miss Nicole Ayala is here with us." Zay said supporting my remarks. I smile at her.

"And that person, is none other than you..." I pointed my index finger at the second person who wrote her name on the paper Zay provided. "It was you, Diana Bagares."

I saw Cristine gasped upon hearing my remarks. Diana's eyes widened upon hearing what I have said.

"M-Me? That's ridiculous! I have no idea what you are talking about!" Diana yelled in her defense. Cristine just looked at her, unable to speak, mouth wide open.

"Well, drop the act. We have already saw the holes in your lies."

"I did nothing wrong! Why don't you listen?!"

"Well, let's see. After I expose every lie you have told us." I said as I look at her directly in her eyes.

"Let's start on how you killed Nicole. You killed her through cutting her throat from behind. The slit on her neck starts from under her right ear midway to her throat. That was fatal already. But through that, we learned that the killer is a left-handed person. And base from what I saw when you wrote your name on this sheet of paper, you were a left-handed person." I said. I saw her jaw clenched upon my remarks.

"How can you so sure that the killer attacked her from behind? Surely, anyone can slit someone's throat in front." Diana questioned for her defense. Zay answered her.

"Well, the fact that there's no identification of violence in the crime scene indicates the victim was attacked suddenly, in a way she wasn't ready, that will compliment our claim that the killer attacked from behind." I continued, then, my deduction.

"Next thing that will pin you in this case is the fact that you claimed on your testimony that you heard something fell on the crime scene the time of the murder and you were put to unconsciousness by a blow to the back of your head, which all did not match to our findings." I said. Her eyes widened upon my remarks.

"Yes. Your own mouth incriminated you. We found none that supports your alibi about something you heard that fell. We also found no oblique objects in the crime scene that can be used to hit you to unconsciousness. We only found the pool of blood and the lifeless body of Nicole. In other words, we found you lying in your alibi." Zay said. I can see panic starting to build upon Diana. But she won't give up.

"B-But, what about the writing upon my face?! I can't write it on my own face!" she defended herself. I smirked.

"As we have thought, you will say that." I said.

"To be honest, it is really hard to write something on your face especially if it was Greek. I tried it, honestly, and I failed. At first, we don't know how that writing was put upon your face. Not until we learned you didn't write those symbols on your face. You imprinted it." Zay said as she displayed a confident aura in front of us.

"W-What d-do you mean?" Diana asked, shaking as she knew her end is near.

"Well, what we mean is, you did not write it on your face. You imprinted it on your face...like a stamp." I said and smirked at her. Her eyes widened upon hearing my remarks.

"You just imprinted those Greek symbols to your face. You wrote it somewhere, probably, a plastic folder using an impermanent marker, and then imprinted it on your face. That way, you produced the writing on your face perfectly!" I said. Diana was looking down right now as I hear her sob. I can see her shoulder move as she cry.

"Do you confess it now? You tried to frame up Cristine through that writing on your face. But you failed. I'm sure, we can find the plastic and the marker you used inside your room. We can ask–"

"I-It's her fault! She ruined our life by telling lies after lies to everyone! She even made us so bad in front of everyone! She is not a real friend! She is a snake! And she deserve to die!" Diana shouted as she fell on her knees, crying in front of us. I nodded to Inspector Mar for him to arrest Diana Bagares, the culprit of the Nicole Ayala murder case.

★★★

"Okay fine, I will accept your club proposal. But you need to find at least one member, for your club to be officially established." Mr. Orson said after he witnessed how Zay and I unravel the truth of Nicole Ayala's murder case. I smiled at his very pleasing news.

"That, professor, is not a problem anymore. I already found my vice." I said as I looked at Zay, who's waiting for me outside the office.